Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Steve Coleman and the Council of Balance: Synovial Joints (2015)

Composer and saxophonist Steve Coleman grew up Chicago's AACM
neighborhood before moving on to New York's big band scene in the 1970s.
Diverse influences combined with his assorted academic interests in
philosophy, world religion and nature, have made him a source for some
of the most unique music of the past twenty years. While not immune from
critical misunderstanding, the recent winner of MacArthur and
Guggenheim Fellowships and the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award has
proven himself an enduring creative force. Coleman has remained true to
his musical objectives and his unique—and always evolving—approaches
continue to be relevant. His perseverance has paid off with Synovial Joints, a significant achievement in his long career.

Coleman
applies a two-fold approach to the creative process. One part
incorporates the natural world, in the sense of how things move and
flow, and he joins this with his concept called "camouflage
orchestration" which his more difficult to articulate but comes alive
upon hearing the music. The compositions and arrangements find an
elusive equilibrium between philosophy and free forms. A number of
colleagues from Coleman's Five Elements group join a very large
collective that includes strings and multiple percussionists with
influences that range from classical to Latin.

The opening
track, "Acupuncture Openings," is a good place to begin talking about
Coleman's concept. Instrumental groupings and themes move in and out of
focus; more an illusionist's performance than changing the structure of
the piece or the formation behind it. Just when an awareness of the
setting becomes clear it evaporates to be replaced by a different
realty; not abruptly and in many cases, not even immediately apparent as
the natural movement coexists with the theoretical concept.

"Celtic
Calls" opens with Jen Shyu's ethereal vocal that comingles with the
instrumentation and then drifts toward symphonic characteristics laced
with operatic qualities. The title suite focuses its four parts on the
correlation of various human movements and if that sounds a bit sterile,
it is not in execution. Though it may not always be clear which joints
are being addressed, a sensation of liquidity is expertly conveyed,
especially in Coleman's arrangements and fluid playing. "Harmattan" has
more of a defined swing element but remains in keeping with the
unexpected directions that the music takes throughout the collection.

There
is a feeling that all of Coleman's compositional components are fully
integrated and mutually exclusive at the same time, defying logic. There
is little sense that Coleman is employing a twenty-one piece ensemble
as their purpose in Coleman's vision is segmented and specifically
defined to deliver alternating phases that rarely bring subgroups
together in traditionally synchronous manner. Synovial Joints
is full of brilliantly conceived pieces, performed by musicians who
shine in their virtuosity. It is the finest and most ambitious work of
his career.